Printing plate and carrier therefor



Aug. 12, 1947. c. J. HUEBER v2,425,323l

Aug. l2, 1947. c. J. HuEBl-:R

` PRINTING PLATE ND CARRIER THEREFOR Filed .July 9,1942 a sheets-sheet 2 l E MMIII j 5111,.

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Aug. 12, 1947. C. J. HUEBER 2,425,323

PRINTING PLATE AND CARRIER THEREFOR Flelduly 9, 1942 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. J. HUEBER PRINTING PLATE AND CARRIER THEREFOR Filed July s 1942 Aug. 12, 1947. y

8 Sheets-Sheet 4 c. J. HUEBER PRINTING PLATE AND CARRIER THEREFOR Illu Aug.` 12, 1947. C. J. HUEBER 2,425,323

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ug. l2, 1947. C. J. HUEBER I PRINTING PLATE AND. ARRIER THERENOR Filed July 9. 1942 ya sheets-s119517 7 0 e. f, N; i12 f D; Nl A M -WIIIIIQ hillh Il@ IHWLM 'H v l: HHN ulm.1 N @a Il r r mmf JITII .n HJ v ,pw mufm z /m f n o a p m@ m f. NN p M NN. UN M Ilm m ,fIl .I i

Q i g 5. ala@ f@ Hmlf 7F55 PF@ SEFPJS Aug. 12, `1947. v c. J. HUEBER l 2,425,323 L PRINTING PLATE AND CARRIER THEREFOR l Filed July 9, 1942 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Aug. 12, 1947 PRINTING PLATE AND CARRIER THEREFOR Carl J. Hueber, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Addres- Vsograph-Multigraph Corporation,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application July 9, 1942, Serial No. 450,320

27 Claims. 1

This invention relates to printing devices that embody carriers for printing plates and, desirably, index cards, such cards bearing impressions from at least selected of the type characters provided on the printing plates, and this invention primarily has to do with such carriers and the retention of the printing plates and index cards thereon.

The carriers or frames of printing devices, as these have been fabricated heretofore, have been arranged to retain the printing devices and index cards on the relatively fiat faces thereof by having retaining means struck up from the bodies of the carriers, at least some of such retaining means having been formed to overlie selected of the marginal portions of the plates and cards. Since the plates and cards have been rested on the relatively fiat faces of the carriers and also since these plates and cards have been of substantially uniform thickness throughout the areas thereof, the retaining means therefor afforded on the carriers, that have been arranged to overlie at least selected of the marginal portions of the plates and cards, have so projected above the faces of the carriers that when one carrier was slid over another, as is often required in the handling of the printing devices, the projecting retaining means on an underlying printing device would catch onto the superimposed device and thereby impair relative sliding between the devices.

Hence one of the important objects of the present 'invention is to enable the retention of printing plates and index cards on'the carriers therefor in such a manne-r that one carrier may be freely slid over another, and other objects related to this are to provide pockets on the faces of the carriers in which the plates and cards may be disposed so that such plates and cards will lie below panels along the margins of such pockets and which are afforded on one of the faces of the carriers; to so arrange such panels on one carrier that another carrier will so engage these panels that relative sliding movement between the carriers may be effected;. to extend plate and card retaining means from the portions affording such panels on the carriers and to extend such retaining means in substantially parallel relation with the adjacent faces of the carriers whereby the faces of the carriers on which the plates and cards are disposed will be free of objectionable projections of the nature that might impair relative sliding between two or more carriers; to so arrange the plate and card retaining means that are thus afforded on the carriers that the plates and cards may be expeditiously associated therewith and thereafter be retained thereby; and to so arrange such plate and card retaining meansv along the marginal portions of the plate and card pockets afforded on the carriers as to insure retention of the plates' and cards in such pockets. v

In those instances where the printing plates that are to be retained on carriers of the kind to which this invention pertains are to have type characters embossed thereon to appear in relief on one of the faces of the plates and in intaglio on the opposite faces thereof, it is advantageous to so dispose the relief faces of such type characters relative to the retaining means afforded for the plates on the carriers that impressions will not be made from such retaining means when impressions are made from the relief faces of the type and to enable the foregoing to be accomplished is another of the important objects of the present invention.

It is customary to form the printing plates of material of sufficient thickness to support embossed type characters against printing pressure and to permit necessary handling without deformation. Usually the thickness of the material is greater than the depth of the plate receiving pockets that are afforded in the novel frames or carriers of the present invention. Among the reasons for this is that the index cards that are retained on carriers of this invention are relatively thin and where, as in the novel carriers of the present invention, pockets are afforded for the reception of such index cards and for the reception of such printing plates, it is advantageous to so form pockets that they are of substantially equal depth for so to do facilitates fabrication of the printing device carriers and is advantageous for other reasons. Hence, if the printing plates that are adapted for use in the present invention were of substantially uniform thickness throughout the areas thereof, it would be necessary to arrange the retaining devices on the carriers for the plates, and which are adapted to overlie marginal portions of the plates, in such a way that such retaining devices would project above the faces of the printing plates to such an extent that impressions might be made therefrom when impressions are made from the relief faces of type characters embossed on the plates.

However, since it is among the objects of the present invention to avoid making such objectionable impressions, the marginal portions of the printing plates that are adapted for use in the novel carriers of thepresent invention are 3 formed to be of reduced thickness relative to those portions of the plates whereat type characters are to be embossed thereon and the retaining devices for the printing plates that are afforded on the frame are formed so as to be adapted to cooperate with such portions of reduced thickness, and among other important objects of the present invention are to utilize such an interrelation between the printing plates and the retaining devices therefor alforded on the novel carriers of the invention; to so relate the portions of reduced thickness on the printing plates and the retaining means on the carriers adapted for cooperation with such portions that the exposed faces of such retaining means will lie close to the face of the printing plate on which the type characters are embossed to appear in relief; and to also so relate the pockets afforded in the novel carriers of this invention for the reception of the printing plates and the printing plates and the retaining means adapted to overlie at least selected marginal portions of such plates that the exposed faces of the retaining means may be arranged substantially in the planes f the faces of the plates on which type characters embossed thereon appear in relief.

The retaining means of the above referred to nature that are afforded on the printing device carriers or frames are usually so related to each other on the carriers that the printing plates may be slid thereinto so as to thereby be held against movement in two different directions. It is customary to provide depressible portions on the printing device carriers in such positions as to enable such portions to cooperate with the adjacent ends of the printing plates and thereby be effective to prevent movement of the printing plates in an angular direction angularly related to the angular direction in which movement of the printing plates on the carriers is prevented by the retaining means into which the printing plates are slid as aforesaid.

Therefore, among other important objects of the present 'invention are to afford novel depressible portions on printing device carriers of the character to which the present invention pertains; to form a plurality of stops on depressible portions of this character and to dispose such stops on such portions in such positions that such stops may cooperate with one or more printing plates arranged on the carriers embodying such portions; to limit the extent to which such depressible portions may be depressed so as to thereby avoid the likelihood of distortion of such depressible portion in the course of Iuse of the printing device carriers; to so relate an elevated part on a depressible portion of the aforesaid character and a depressed part on a carrier including the depressible portion that the depressible portion may be depressed out of plate engaging position so as to thereby enable a plate to be slid thereover and into or out of retaining means adapted to overlie marginal portions of the plate; to so relate such elevated and depressed parts that the depressible portion may be depressed only suiciently to enable a printing plate to be slid over such depressible portion for the purpose and in the manner just described; and to dispose parts of such depressible portions in the planes of the panels afforded on the novel carriers of the present invention along the marginall portions of the plate and card receiving pockets. afforded-in such carriers.

``r"r in,ting device carriers of the character to which this invention pertains are-customarily so 4 arranged that the plates and cards to be retained thereon may be disposed in side by side relation and retaining means respectively adapted to overlie adjacent marginal portions of the plates and cards are arranged on the frame to respectively project in opposite directions so that selected of such retaining means will overlie marginal portions of the cards and other of the retaining means will overlie adjacent marginal portions of the plates. Heretofore it has been customary to strike up such retaining means from the portions of the carriers intermediate the plates and cards arranged thereon in side by side relation, and such oppositely projecting retaining means have heretofore been independently formed and because of this it has been necessary to afford a wide variety of tools in order to enable such means to be afforded on various styles of printing device carriers, it being customary to afford printing device carriers of the nature to which this invention pertains in a Wide variety of styles respectively adapted to receive plates and cards of varied widths and, in many instances, so as to enable a plurality of printing plates to be accommodated on a single carrier. However, in each of the various styles of such printing device carriers, which provide for accommodation of at least one printing plate and an index card, there are portions of such plates and cards that extend in side by side relation. Hence, among further important objects of the invention are to utilize a standard arrangement of oppositely projecting retaining means respectively adapted to overlie adjacent marginf' al portions of plates and cards arranged in sidel by side relation; to enable such a standard arrangement to be embodied in any of the various styles of printing device carriers irrespective of the relative widths of the plates and cards to be retained on such carriers; to so relate the various retaining means in such a standard arrange.. ment thereof that oppositely projecting retaining means may be arranged in juxtaposition one to the other without impairing the required rigidity of the carriers in which such arrangement is embodied; and to enable such a standard arrangement to be produced by tools which may be utilized in the production of any of the various styles of printing device carriers that are to be afforded.

The plate and card receiving pockets that are aorded in the novel carriers of the present invention are disposed on the carriers in side by side relation so that the plates and cards arranged therein wil1 likewise lie in side by side relation and where resort is had to such arrangement, it is advantageous to provide a physical separation in carriers intermediate the pockets, and so to do isryet another object of this invention.

Printing devices of the character to which this invention pertains are customarily mounted in trays or drawers when not in use and it is of course advantageous to enable as many of such devices to be accommodated in a particular drawer or tray as 'can be conveniently stored therein, and for this and other reasons it is advantageous to form the printing device carriers of relatively light gauge material and to enable this to be accomplished is yet another object of this invention, and objects related to the foregoing are to so reenforce a printing device car. rier that it may be made of relatively light gauge material and yet be sufficiently rigid.

Among other objects of this invention are to 'so standardize carrier and plate arrangements that a plurality of diierent plate arrangements may be embodied in a single carrier and also so that .particular plate arrangement may be utilized in a number of different carriers; to enable the foregoing to be accomplished in a novel manner; and to so relate a printing plate receiving pocket and printing plate retaining means provided on a particular carrier that a wide variety of plate arrangements may be accommodated on a particular carrier.

It is frequently necessary in the course of use I of Iprinting devices of the character to which this invention pertains to handle stacks of such devices as Where a plurality of such devices are to be introduced into the magazine of a printing machine of the character, for example, disclosed in Hueber Patent No. 2,070,549, patented February 9, 1937, and of course there are many other instances where stacks of printing devices of the character to which this invention pertains will need to be handled. Thus yet further objects of this invention are to relate parts of the printing device carriers of the character to which this invention pertains in such a novel manner that parts of one carrier may interfit with parts of another carrier so as to thereby expedite the handling of stacks of such printing devices and insure against displacement of the various printing devices in the Vstack thereof; to impart a predetermined configuration to projecting elements on a printing device carrier and to form portions complementary to such predetermined Conguration in the carrier so that when the predetermined coniiguration on the projecting elements on one carrier are fitted into the complementary portions on another such carrier, the carrierswill be so interconnected as to resist lateral separation thereof; and, specifically, to provide parallel grooves in one face of a printing device carrier and complementary portions on elements aligned with such grooves and which project from the other face of the carrier whereby such complementary portions on different carriers may .be intertted.

Inasmuch as it is advantageous to protect the relief faces of type characters embossed on printing plates mounted in carriers of the characterfto which this invention pertains, it is customary to provide what are called spacing flanges on such carriers. However, it has been observed that in the course of stacking printing devices one upon the other there is a tendency for the spacing ange on a superimposed printing device to catch along the marginal edge of an underlying device and ofttimes considerable manipulation is necessary before such engaged parts may be separated.

Hence, still further objects of this invention are top so arrange printing device carriers or frames, and particularly the spacing anges thereof, that stacking of the printing devices may be expeditiously effected; to form guides on the inwardly disposed face of a spacing flange of the aforesaid character of such nature that these guides will lbe effective to facilitate disposing one printing device on another; and to so relate engageable edge portions of spacing flanges and printing device carriers that separation of such edges may be expeditiously effected in the event of engagement thereof.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by vvay of illustration, show preferred embodiments and th principle thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled iin the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of a printing device embodying the present invention;

Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, are sectional views, drawn to a yet further enlarged scale, and taken substantially and respectively on the lines 2 2, 3 3, 4 4, '5 5 and 6 6 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 7, is a fragmentary elevational view, also drawn to an enlarged scale, of the medial part of .the printing device illustrated in Fig. 1 and in which View the printing plate and index card shown in Fig. 1 are deleted;

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional views, drawn to the same scale as Figs. 2 to 6, and taken substantially and respectively on the lines 8 8 and 9 9 on Fig. 7;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12` are sectional views, also drawn to the same scale as Figs. 2 to 6, and taken substantially and respectively on the lines I0 Il, H H and |2 l2 on Fig- 1;

Fig. 13 is a. sectional detail View, also drawn to the same scale as Figs. 2 to 6, and taken substantially on the line l3 |3 on Fig. 7;

Fig. 14 is an elevational View, drawn to an enlarged scale, of an unembossed printing plate of the character adapted for use in a printing device frame illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 15 is a sectional detail View, drawn to a further enlarged scale, taken on the line |5 I5 on Fig. 14;

Fig 16 is an elevational view, also drawn to an enlarged scale, of a portion of the printing device frame shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the yieldable retaining means embodied in such framey and from which view the printing plate shown in Fig. 1 has been omitted;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view, drawn to the same scale as Figs. 2 to 6 and taken substantially on the line Il l'l on Fig, 16;

Fig. 18 is a sectional view, similar to Fig. 17, and showing the manner in which one of the yieldable retaining means illustrated in Fig. 16 may be depressed to enable insertion and removal of the printing plate into and from the printing device frame;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view, drawn to an enlarged scale, and taken substantially on the line l9 l9 on Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is a sectional view, drawn to the same scale as Figs. 2 to 6, and taken substantially on the line 29 2U on Fig. 16;

Fig. 21 is a sectional view drawn to an enlarged scale and iln which a plurality of printing devices are shown in section in the manner similar to that in which the printing device is illustrated in Fig. 2 and in which view the manner in which the printing devices of this invention may be stacked one upon the other to facilitate handling thereof is illustrated;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of the printing device shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary elevational view, also drawln to an enlarged scale, of the left-hand end y of a printing device such as that shown in Fig. 22

and in which view a modified form of the invention is illustrated, and also from which View the printing plate and index card shown in Fig. 22 have been omitted; I

Figs. 24 and 25 are sectional views, each drawn at an enlarged scale, and taken substantially and respectively on the lines 24-24 and 25--25 on Fig. 23; i

Fig. 26 is a View drawn to the same scale as Figs. 2 to 6 and wherein a pair of printing devices are illustrated in section, in the manner in which the printing device is shown in Fig. 2, and in which view the manner in which the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 23, 24 and 25 is adapted to function is illustrated;

Figs. 27, 28 and 29 are elevational views, drawn to the same scale as Fig. l, and which views are similar to Fig. 1 but which show modified forms of the printing device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 30 is an elevational View, drawn to the same scale as Fig. l, of another form of printing device embodying the present invention and wherein a plurality of printing plates are retained on the novel printing device frame shown in this View;

Figs. 31 to 34, inclustive, are fragmentary elevational views, drawn to the same scalek as Fig. 30, of the printing device frame shown in Fig. 30 and illustrating the manner in which various arrangements of a plurality of printing plates may be retained on the printing device frame shown in Fig. 30;

Fig. 35 is a sectional detail view, drawn to an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 35-35 von Fig. 30;

Fig. 36 is an elevational view, drawn to the same scale as Fig. 1, of still another form of printing device embodying the present invention and wherein a plurality of printing plates are retained on the novel printing device frame shown in this view;

Figs. 37, 38 and 39 are fragmentary elevational views, drawn to the same scale as Fig. 36, of the printing device frame shown in Fig, 36 and illustrating the manner in which various arrangements of a plurality of printing plates may be retained on the printing devicey frame shown in Fig. 36; and

Figs. 40 and 41 are further elevational views, drawn to the same scale as Fig. l, of yet other forms of printing devices embodying the present invention.

The printing device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 22 and related views embodies a frame or carrier F which is desirably fabricated from sheet metal or other sheet material, for example, in the manner disclosed in Berthelsen Patent No. 2,070,573, patented February 16, 1937. It will be understood, however, that the frame so illustrated may be produced in other ways without departing from the ambit of the present invention.

An index card C` and a printing plate F are detachably retained on the frame F and inasmuch as the frame F is desirably substantially rectangular in outline, the card C and thel plate P are also substantially rectangular in outline and are so arranged on the frame F that the longer dimensions of the card and plate extend in parallel relation with each other and across the longer dimension of the substantially rectangular frame. The card C is mounted along what may well be called the top or upper part of the frame F while the plate 1:'V is mounted along what may well be called the bottom or lower part' of the frame. Means are provided on the frame F which are effective to retain the card C and the plate P in the aforesaid relation on the frame F and, since the frame is desirably made of relatively light gauge sheet material, it is reenforced by including reenforcing formations therein, particularly in the means effective to retain they card and plate on the frame, as will be explained hereinafter.

The frame F has spacing flanges SF formed along the shorter edges thereof by folding the marginal portions of the materialof the frame along such edges in such manner that a rounded edge I0 is provided along these shorter edges of the frame, each' such rounded edge interconnecting spaced apart but substantially parallel portions II and I2. The portion I2 is disposed to lie on the rear face of the frame F as contradistinguished from the front face of the frame Y on which the card CV and plate P are mounted.

Each su'ch portion I2 extends inwardly from a rounded edge I0 and merges into a vertically extending portion I3 which, in turn, merges into a horizontally disposed rail I4, each such rail I4 desirably being disposed to extend parallel to, but in spaced relation with, the main body of the frame F. The rails I4 are of relatively substantial width, in the form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and at the inner ends thereof these rails merge into upwardly and inwardly extending parts I5 which have flanges I6 at the free edges thereof that are disposed to lie against the rear face of the main body of the frame F inwardly of the rounded edges IIJ on the frame.

Eachv of th'e portions II extends inwardly from a rounded edge I0 in an amount somewhat less than the inward extent of the portions I 2 and the portions II terminate in vertically extending shoulders I'I which serve to connect ledges I8 with the portions II. Vertically extending shoulders I 9 atV the innerends of the ledges I8 connect these ledges with panels 20 which extend parallel to the plane of the portions II but which panels 20l are spaced above the upper faces ofk the portions II, the aforesaid flanges I6 being disposed to underlie the panels 20. Each ledge I8 is slightly wider than the rails I4 and the rails I 4 respectively underlie the ledges I 8 which ledges. in cooperation with the shoulders I'I and I9, afford grooves G into which the rails I4 on anoth'er and similar printing device are adapted to t when the printing devices arranged are stacked one upon the other, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.

The manner inV which the shorter marginal portions of the body of the frame F are folded, as above described, and particularly the formation of the spacing flanges SF and the' grooves G, imparts a configuration to these portions of the frame which serves to reenfor'ce and strengthen the frame transversely thereof, which is to say,

in the direction of the shorter dimension of the substantially rectangular frame. This reenforcement o'f the frame', in combination with other reenforce'ment included therein, as will be explained, enables the novel frame' of this invention to be made" ofv lighter gaug'ematerialthan has hereto-n forebeen employed in thel manufacture of printing device frames'. This isv particularly true because the frame or carrier as- Fis also effectively reenforced longitudinally, which is to say, in the direction of the longer dimension thereof. Such longitudinal reenforcement ofthe frame F is af'- fordedy by'A the connguration imparted to the means included on the frame' which are effec- 9 tive to retain the card C and the printing plate P thereon, as will be explained.

Pockets are provided in the frame F for the reception of the card as C and the plate as P by depressing portions of the body of the frame beneath the plane of the panels 2D, the panels so depressed extending between the spaced apart and parallel panels 20. Thus, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the portion of the frame F intermediate the two parallel panels 20 is depressed beneath the plane of these panels to afford a pocket P| for the reception of the card C and a pocket P2 for the reception of the plate P, the edges of such depressed portions being connected to the inner edges of th'e panels 2D by inclined parts 2|. The pockets P| and P2 are separated longitudinally of the frame by' a rib R, Figs. 1, 7 and 10, described more fully hereinafter, and which, as best shown in Fig. 7, extends between the respective panels 20 -with the upwardly disposed face thereof arranged to lie in the plane of the upper faces of the panels 20.

Among the devices which are effective to retain the card C in the pocket P| is the bead UB. This bead is afforded by folding the marginal portion of the material of the frame, along the upper edge thereof and which is disposed between the inner edges of the inclined parts 2|, over onto the face of the frame. Moreover, such configuration is imparted to the bead UB as will serve to reenforce the frame F longitudinally thereof.

Thus, as best shown in Figs; l and 12, the aforesaid marginal portion along the upper edge of the frame F is folded to afford a rounded edge 22 which serves to interconnect the bottom 30 of the pocket PI with a part 23 that extends in parallel but spaced apart relation with the bottom 30 of the pocket PI so that, as best shown in Fig. l0, the upper marginal portion of the index card C may be neatly accommodated beneath the portion 23. The portion 23 merges into a crimped portion 24 which is disposed intermediate the portion 23 and a flange 25 that is inclined, preferably on a slight radius, toward the bottom 30 of the pocket PI but which terminates in spaced relation therewith, as illustrated best in Fig. 10, sol as to enable the index card C to be freely inserted therebelow, The marginal portions at the ends of the flange 25,

indicated by 26, as best shown in Figs. and 12,

are extended in parallel but spaced apart relation with the adjacent face of the frame, for a purpose to be explained presently.

Additional retaining means for the card C are formed on the frame F and among such means are the lips LI that are provided on the vrib R at spaced intervals along the extent thereof between the panels 20. Thus by referring to Figs. 7 and 10 it will be seen that the rib R includes walls 21 and 23 which extend upwardly from the bottoms 3|) and 40, respectively, of the pockets P| and P2 and which walls merge into a panel 29 that extends in parallel but spaced apart relation with the bottoms 30 and 40, respectively, of the pockets PI and P2, and the upper face of which is disposed to lie in the plane in which the upper faces of the panels 2G are disposed. The lips L| are formed at intervals along the extent of the rib R, as for example at those intervals illustrated in Figs. 1 and E. These lips extend in the plane of the panel 29 of the rib R and outwardly beyond the wall 2 thereof, such lips being struck from the underlying material of the bottom 30 ,of the pocket PI, as shown best in Fig. 9, and the wall 2l.

Since the lower edge of a card C inserted into the pocket Pl is adapted to be disposed against the wall 2'! of the rib R, it will be seen that the lips L| are disposed to extend over the marginal portion of a card having the lower edge thereof so engaged with the wall 2l, the lower faces of the lips Ll being spaced from the adjacent face of the bottom 30 of the pocket PI in such an amount as to neatly accommodate the-card C therebelow, as shown in Fig. 10. Moreover, since the card C is adapted to be slid beneath the retaining devices LI, concurrently with the sliding of the opposite marginal portion of the card beneath the flange 25, it is advantageous to form the side edges of the lips LI so that these portions extend upwardly at a slight inclination with respect'to the medial parts of the lips, this being shown best in Fig. 13, where such upwardly extending portions are respectively indicated by 3| and 32. Y

An index card as C is desirably slid into the pocket P| to be disposed ibetween the inwardly disposed faces of the rounded corner 22 and the wall 21. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 and related views, the card is slid into the pocket P2 from the right-hand edge of the printing device carrier, as it is viewed in lig. 1, and it is for this reason that the part 26 is'provided at the right-hand end, as it is viewed in Fig. 1, of the flange 25, as well as the upwardly inclined end portions 32 on the lips LI, such part and portions insuring that the card will pass beneath the flange 25 and the lips LI as it is being inserted into the pocket P-l as above described. Furthermore, even though the card is intended to be slid beneath the flange 25 and the retaining devices L| in the manner described, the lefthand end portions 3| of the retaining devices Li and the left-hand end portion 26 of the bead UB, as these retaining devices and bead are viewed in Fig. 1, are formed as above described for so to do contributes to a symmetry inappearance in these retaining devices and bead. However, since the index card C is intendedit'o be slid into the pocket PI from the right-hand end of the frame as above described,- means are provided to insure that,^once the indexvcard C has attained proper position in the pocket PI, displacement thereof from the pocket will be prevented. Moreover, the means that are thus provided are also effective to prevent the index card from being pushed out of the left-hand end of the pocket PI as it is viewed in Fig. 1 asan incident to the insertion of the card into this pocket, l

Thus, a combined stop and retaining means SR is formed at the juncture of the rib R with the panel 20 at the left-hand end of the pocket P| as the same is viewed in Fig. 1. ,This combined stop and retaining means includes a gusset 33which is disposed substantially in the plane of the lpanels 20 and 29, into which it merges although, as best shown in Figs, 5 and 6, this gusset 33 is inclined to project slightly above the panel .29 so as to thereby afford a somewhat enlarged entrance into which the lower corner at the leading end of an index card may pass, in the course of insertion of the card into the pocket PI, so as to thereby insure disposition of this corner of the card in the combined stop and retaining means SR. l f

Desirably, an index card C that is to be inserted into a pocket as PI, is so sized that when it is inserted into proper position in the pocket PI, the shorter edges of the card Will lie adjacent to the lower edges of the inclined parts 2| along the side edges of the pocket Pl. Therefore, when an index card is inserted into the pocket PI in the manner above described, the trailing end thereof must be caused to ride over and beyond the retention 34, Figs. 1 and 4, which, as best shown in these views, is in the form of a lip that extends inwardly from the panel 2D along the right-hand side of the pocket Pl as the same is viewed in Fig. l, this lip 34 desirably being located along the extent of this panel adjacent to the upper end thereof. As best shown in Fig. 4, the lip or retention 34 is struck up from the underlying portions of the inclined part 2l and the adjacent part of the bottom 30 of the pocket Pl and also as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, this lip is desirably inclined upwardly toward the free end thereof so as to thereby afford an enlarged entrance beneath this free end. Thus, once an index card C has been passed into the pocket Pl, the trailing end thereof may be passed beyond the free edge of the lip 34 by applying suncient force to flex the flexible card sufficiently to enable the trailing edge thereof to be disposed beyond the free edge of this lip. The disposition of the aforesaid margin-a1 portion of the card beneath the lip 34 is effective to prevent the card from climbing up the adjacent face of the adjacent inclined part 2| and therefore displacement of the card from the pocket Pl is effectively prevented.

Thus an index card as C is effectively retained in the pocket as PI, once it has been inserted thereinto, primarily because the flange as and the retaining devices as LI extend over opposite marginal portions thereof, and also because the disposition of the other marginal portions of the card in the aforesaid cooperative relation with the combined stop and retaining means as SR and the retention as 34, prevents undesired movement of the card as C in a pocket as Pl and relative to the flange as 25 and the retaining means or devices as Ll. Such an arrangement is embodied in each of the novel carriers of the present invention.

A printing plate as P is adapted to be effectively retained in the pocket P2 and to this end retaining devices L2 are provided on the rib R to extend over an adjacent marginal portion of a plate as P when it is disposed in the pocket P2 and a bead LB is provided along the lower edge of the frame which is adapted to cooperate with the opposite marginal edge of the plate. These retaining devices and bead are arranged, in the preferred form of the invention, for cooperation with a special configuration on the parts of the plate adapted for cooperation therewith.

Thus, since it is necessary that printing plates as P be sufficiently rigid to withstand the necessary handling thereof without distortion, it is customary to for-m the printing plates from comparatively thick sheet material, particularly as contrasted with the thickness of the material 4of which a frame as F is desirably made. Consequently, and as can be ascertained by reference to Fig. 10, the printing plates as P are thicker than the index cards as C and in order that the retaining devices as L2 and bead as LB will not be caused to extend above the face of a printing plate as P on which type characters as T are emspect to the thickness of the Aplate in the portions thereof whereat the type characters as T may be embossed thereon. In the present instance such portions of reduced thickness are in form of flanges designated at 35 and 36 in the accompanying drawings. Printing plates of the aforesaid character and embodying portions of re duced thickness as aforesaid are described in detail in the copending application filed by me jointly with William J. Hampton, Serial No. 591,738, filed May 3, 1945, and it is to be understood that any of the various plate arrangements described in that application may be utilized with the novel carrier of the present invention.

Another marked advantage which accrues from utilizing printing plates embodying portions of reduced thickness such as the flanges 35 and 35 is that the bottom 40 of the pocket P2 may be formed to lie in the same Plane as the bottom 30 of the pocket PI for so to do materially expedites fabrication of the novel carriers of the present invention and is otherwise advantageous since, for example, this enables the rear faces of the pockets to be disposed in a common plane so that the rear faces of the carriers are free 0f projections which might interfere with relative sliding of the printing devices when they are improperly stacked one upon the other` and portions of the printing devices come into contact with the rear faces of adjacent printing devices.

The bead LB which is adapted for cooperation with a flange as 36 on a printing plate as P is afforded by folding the marginal portion of the lower edge of the frame intermediate the inwardly disposed edges of the inclined parts 2| over onto the frame and desirably this is effected so as to afford a rounded edge 31 along the lower edge of the frame or carrier. The free marginal part of such marginal portion of the frame into which the rounded corner 31 merges is desirably inclined inwardly and is arranged to afford a flange 38 which, throughout the major portion of the extent thereof as best shown in Fig. l0, is inclined inwardly toward the adjacent face of the bottom 40 of the pocket P2. The marginal end portions 39 of the flange 38 are, however, formed to extend substantially parallel but in spaced apart relation with the adjacent face of the bottom 40 of the pocket P2 so as to thereby afford enlarged entrances to facilitate the insertion of a flange as 36 on a plate as P beneath the free edge of the flange 38, the free end of such flange being spaced from the adjacent face of the bottom 40 of the pocket P2 so as to neatly accommodate a flange as 36 therebelow, as best shown in Fig. 10.

The retaining devices L2, like the retaining devices LI, are desirably formed to project in the plane of the panel 29 of the rib R, such lips extending outwardly from the panel .29 to project beyond the wall 2B of the rib R which wall serves as the upper edge of the pocket P2 and with which the free edge of a flange as 35 on a plate as P is adapted to cooperate when the plate is inserted into the pocket P2. Each lip L2 is struck up from the underlying material of the bottom 40 of the pocket P2 and the wall 28. Moreover, as in the case of the lips LI, the marginal portions along the sides of the lips L2 are desirably inclined upwardly so as to thereby afford enlarged entrances which facilitate passage of a flange as 35 beneath the lips L2. Furthermore, each lip as L2, as best shown in Fig. 10, is desirably spaced from the adjacent face of the bottom 40 of the pocket P2 in an amount sufficient to enable a flange as 35 to be 13 neatly accommodated between the adjacent faces of the bottom 4|] and each lip as L2.

When a printing plate as P is mounted in the pocket P2 with the free edges of the flanges as 35 and 36 thereon respectively engaged with adjacent faces of the wall 28 and the rounded corner 31, the plate is retained in the pocket P2 effectively against movement in one angular direction, which is to say, transversely of the frame and by reason of the disposition of the retaining devices as the lips L2 and the flange 38 over marginal portions of the plate as P the same is effectively held in the pocket P2 and onto the face of the bottom 40 thereof.

Moreover, when the plate is so arranged in the pocket P2 the end edges thereof are respectively arranged in juxtaposition to the inner edges of the inclined parts 2|, and in many of the yuses to which printing devices of the character to which this invention pertains are to loe put the cooperation of such ends of the printing plate with inclined parts as 2| will be effective, in cooperation with the other means effective to retain the plate on the frame, to prevent undesired displacement of the plate from the frame. However, and particularly in those instances where printing devices are to be fed in the direction of their longitudinal extent, as is done in the machine described in my copending application, Serial No. 388,998, filed April 17 1941, it is advantageous to provide additional means for preventing undesired displacement of the printing plate from the frame particularly in the direction of longitudinal extent of the plate and frame.

Inasmuch as it is advantageous to enable a plate to be inserted into a pocket as P2 either from the right-hand or the left-hand side of the frame, as it is viewed in Fig. 1, similar means effective to prevent movement of the plate on the frame in a longitudinal direction are provided for cooperation with the respective ends of the plate. It will be appreciated however that one or the other of such identical means could be omitted and a permanent stop somewhat in the nature of the retention 34 could be afforded for cooperation with one or the other of the ends of the plate.

Since it is desirable that any means which are provided for cooperation with the ends of the plate be of such nature that the means will be effective to insure against longitudinal displacement of the plate, it is desirable to afford stops on such means and to dispose such stops in such positions that the free ends thereof will extend in substantially parallel relation with an adjacent end of the plate for so to do insures an effective edge to edge engagement between the stops and thev ends of the plate. However, since it is necessary that the plate be slid into and from the retaining devices L2 and the flange 38, it is necessary that the arrangement be such that stops of the aforesaid character may be moved out of cooperating relation with the adjacent end of the plate so as to thereby permit the plate to be slid into or from the pocket as P2.

Thus in the present instance yieldable depressible portions in the form of spring tongues, which are indicated as ST in the accompanying drawings, are provided on the carrier. Each such spring tongue is defined by a substantially horseshoe-shaped slot 43 formed in the bottom 4G of the pocket P2 and in the inclined parts 2| and also partially in the panels 20, the bights of such substantially horseshoe-shaped slots being disposed in the panels 20. The material that is thus separated from the body of the frame by a slot 43 is formed, in the manner now to be described,

to afford stops S which will be effective to prevent longitudinal displacement of a plate from a pocket as P2. Furthermore, as will be explained in greater detail hereinafter, since it is often desirable to retain a pluralityof printing plates in a pocket as P2, it is advantageous to provide a plurality of stops on each spring tongue of the aforesaid character so that when a plurality of plates are disposed in a pocket as P2 at least one of the stops thus afforded on the spring tongues will :be disposed to engage at least one of the plurality of printing plates, and desirably the arrangement is such that, in such circumstances, one such stop on a spring tongue as ST cooperates with one of a plurality of plates while another such stop on the tongue cooperates with another of the plurality of plates in the pocket P2.

Moreover, in order that stops S on a spring tongue as ST may be moved out of cooperating relation with the adjacent end of a printing plate so as to permit the same to be Yslid relative to the retaining devices L2 and the bead LB, a finger portion is provided at the free end of a spring tongue as ST which is so 'arranged that it may be engaged by a thumb nail or the like s0 as to thereby enable the spring tongue to Abe depressed and therefore move the aforesaid stops out of cooperating relation with the adjacent end of the plate.

Thus, transversely across each spring tongue as ST and desirably, as best shown in Fig. 17, slight- I ly inwardly of the adjacent inclined part 2| an inclined part 4| is formed in the spring tongue to extend upwardly from the main body thereof. Each such inclined part 4| terminates in a finger portion 42 at the free end of the tongue, and the arrangement is such that a linger portion 42 so afforded is disposed to lie in the plane of the adjacent p-anel 28; as shown in Fig. 1'7.

Furthermore, stops as S of the aforesaid nature are formed on the spring tongue ST by striking up portions of the inclined parts 4|, such stops being disposed to extend in the plane of the finger piece 42 and inwardly therefrom, as shown in Fig. 17. Desirably, two stops S are formed in each spring tongue in the aforementioned manner, such stops being disposed on each side of the medial part of the spring tongue and preferably being equidistantly spaced inwardly from the side edges of the tongue, Hence, since the stops S are struck up from the material of the inclined part 4|, such inclined part 4|, as best shown in Fig. 20, assumes the form of three struts, one of which is located medially in the spring tongue transversely thereof and inter- -mediate the two stops S and the yother two struts are arranged along the side edges of the spring tongue and respectively outwardly of the two stops S. Such arrangement of the inclined part d! and the stops S effectively reenforces the spring tongue ST so as to prevent deformation thereof, and particularly of the finger piece 2|, in the course of use of the printing devices. Furthermore, the disposition of the stops as S on the spring tongue ST on opposite sides of the medial part of the spring tongue enables such stops to be disposed inr such positions as to enable the stops to respectively cooperate with adjacent ends of a plurality of printing plates, as will be explained in further detail hereinafter.

Inasmuch as the exposed face of each nger piece 42 is adapted to be engaged by a thumb nail or the like in order to enable depression of the spring tongue so as to move the stops S out of cooperating relation with the adjacent end of a plate as P, such exposed face of each finger piece 4D is desirably transversely knurled, as indicated at 44, whereby a roughened surface is afforded which may be effectively engaged to enable depression of the tongue ST when and as desired.

The spring tongues as ST are innately resilient inasmuch as the material of which the frames as F are made is desirably somewhat innately resilient. It is, however, advantageous to so limit the amount in which such a tongue may be depressed so as to thereby avoid the likelihood that the resiliency thereof will be impaired. Hence, since it is only necessary to depress a spring tongue as ST sufficiently to clear the stops as S from the adjacent end of a printing plate as P, resort is had to the arrangement now to be described which is effective to so limit the amount in which a spring tongue as ST may be depressed.

Each linger piece 42, as described, is at least in part cut out of and is arranged in the plane of the panel 20, Moreover, as has lbeen described hereinabove, each flange as I6 on a spacing flange as SF underlies a panel as 20. Thus in order to limit the amount which a spring tongue as ST may be depressed, that portion of each flange IS, underlying a finger piece 42 on a spring tongue as ST, is depressed to such a degree that the upwardly faced part of the depressed portion, indicated by 45 in the accompanying drawings, will at least substantially lie in the plane of the rear face of the bottom 40 0f the pocket P2, such relationship between the depressed part 45 and the bottom 40 being best illustrated in Fig. 17. Moreover, as shown in Fig. 19, each depressed part 45 is arranged to be of an extent slightly greater than the width of the spring tongue ST disposed thereabove and such a depressed part is connected to the remaining portions of the flange I6 by inclined parts 46.

When a printing plate as P is to be initially inserted into a pocket as P2, the leading end thereof is engaged with a finger piece as 42 to thereby cause depression of the spring tongue as ST and thereupon the plate may be slid over this tongue and into the retaining devices L2 and flange 33. However, as soon as the trailing end of a. printing plate so inserted into the pocket P2 passes beyond the free ends of the stops S, the spring tongue ST springs back up into the normal position thereof shown in Fig. 1'7 whereupon the free ends of the stops S move into cooperating relation with the adjacent end of the plate which is thereafter effectively held against displacement from the pocket as P2.

It will be appreciated that the extent to which the nger piece as 42 is arranged above the main body of the spring tongue must be related to the extent to which the part as 45 is depressed, for it is this that enables the stops as S to be cleared from the adjacent end of the plate. Furthermore, this relation is desirably such that the spring tongue can be depressed no more than necessary for this insures against such deformation of the spring tongue as might cause the same to lose its innate resiliency.

It has been explained hereinabove that the portions of the frame .which are formed to afford the spacing flanges SF and the grooves G are effective to'reenforce a frame as F transversely thereof. Moreover, it has been explained that the provision ofl a crimped portion as 24 in the upper bead UB serves to strengthen this bead, and that this i effective to reenforce the frame longitudinally thereof. In this respect a certain degree of longitudinal reenforcement will be imparted to the frame by the formation of a bead as UB, irrespective of whether or not such a bead is crimped as at 24, although in the preferred form of the invention this bead is so crimped. Furthermore, the formation of the flange that is part of the lower bead LB and the formation of such a flange is effective to reenforce the frame longitudinally thereof.

Yet further, the formation of a ri-b as R, which, in the various forms of printing device frames embodying the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and in kindred arrangements, is arranged to be disposed intermediate the beads UB and LB, is effective to reenforce the frame longitudinally thereof, and in so far as the frame F, Fig. 1, is concerned this rib Ris disposed substantially medially between the extent of the beads UB and LB, this and kindred arrangements being particularly effective to reenforce the frame.

The rib R is otherwise important and in this respect it .will be noted that the retaining devices Ll and L2 are respectively disposed so that adjacent of these devices project in opposite directions from the rib R and furthermore, as can be ascertained by reference to Fig. 1, such oppositely extending devices are disposed in close relation one with the other. However, by reason of the provision of the rib R, such location of the oppositely extending retaining devices does not impair the rigidity of the frame, as might be the case if the rib R were not afforded. The primary reason for this is that the rib R affords a continuous section across the printing device frame at the place whereat the retaining devices LI and L2 are struck from the body of the frame.

Moreover, by providing a rib as R and relating the retaining devices as Ll L2 and 33 thereto in the manner explained hereinabove, an arrangement is afforded which may be produced by rela.- tively simple tools particularly designed to form these elements in the manner described hereinabove. Since each of such devices embodies an index card having at least one printing plate arranged in juxtaposition thereto, an arrangement such as that including the rib R, retaining devices LI, L2 and 33 may be standardized so that the tools effective to produce such an arrangement in one style of printing device frame may also be utilized to produce a kindred arrangement in another style of printing device frame, this being described in further detail hereinafter.

A printing device of the character to which this invention pertains is desirably equipped with indexing means and one common arrangement for this purpose is to form sockets in the portion of the frame underlying the index card as C, such sockets being constituted and arranged to receive the stern portions of one arrangement of this character that is suitable for use in frames of the present invention being disclosed in Goll- -witzer Patent No. 2,049,436, patented August 4, 1936.

However, there are many instances where an index arrangement of the aforesaid character is not required and this is one of the reasons that the different configurations respectively imparted to the beads UB and LB are advantageous. Thus by referring to Figs. 10 and 22 it will be seen that the portion of the ange 25 immediately adjacent the crimped portion 24 in the bead UB projects slightly above the plane in which the panels 2l] and 29 are disposed Whereas, as can best be seen by reference to Figs. 10 and 22, the exposed face of the flange 38 is arranged to lie substantially in the plane of the panels 20 and 29. Such difference in the degree of projection above the front face of a frame as F facilitates ascertainment of which is the top and which is the bottom edge of the frame, and this facilitates arranging the frames so that all of the lower portions thereof will be extended in the same direction.

Moreover, the configuration which is imparted to the upper bead UB is rounded and since the degree to which this configuration projects above the front face of a frame as F is relatively limited, this configuration does not impair the sliding of the exposed faces of the rails as f4 on one printing device over the front face of a printing device embodying the present invention for when this is desired, the exposed faces of the rails as I4 ride on the exposed face of the bead UB and the exposed faces of the panels 20 and 29. In this respect it will be understood that the exposed faces of the panels 20 and 29 are disposed in a plane that is desirably at least slightly disposed above the adjacent faces of a plate and card mounted on the carrier. Furthermore, while the combined stop and retaining device SR, the retention 3d, and the end portions 3| and 32 of the retaining devices Ll and the corresponding end portions of the retaining devices L2 are inclined upwardly in slight amount of the exposed faces of the panels 20 Iand 29, the degree of such extent is quite limited and is not such as to impair the free sliding of the exposed faces of rails as I l on one frame over the panels 2!! and Z9 and the bead UB on an underlying frame, and in this respect it is to be noted that views as Figs. 2 and 3 are drawn to a very materially enlarged scale, such scale being at least ten-toone.

Furthermore, not only may printing devices of the character to which this invention pertains be freely slid one over the other but the handling of such devices is otherwise expedited by reason of the configuration which is imparted to the rails as lll and the complementary configuration of the grooves as G. This arrangement is such that the rails I4 on one printing device carrier may be disposed in the grooves G of an underlying printing device carrier to thereby so interlock the two carriers that in so far as lateral separation thereof is concerned, this can only be effected by sliding the rails as R out of the grooves as G in which they are rested or interiitted. In this respect it will be understood that While I have shown the preferred complementary conguration of the rails f4 and grooves G in the accompanying drawings, resort might well be had to other complementary configurations without departing from the purview of the present invention. Thus, the rails I4 and the grooves G might embody substantially V-shaped or other complementary configurations.

In any event and as best illustrated in Fig. 21, when a plurality of printing devices embodying the present invention are arranged in superimposed relation the rails I4 on one printing device neatly fit into the grooves G on an underlying printing device, and furthermore such interfitting of the rails and grooves is expedited by reason of the fact that the printing devices may be freely slid relative to each other, as has been ex- Dlained hereinabove. It is to be understood that it is only when the printing devices are carelessly handled that the rails l on one printing device are caused to promiscuously slide over the faces yof another printing device. Among the reasons for this is that, as can best be ascertained by reference to Fig. 10, the relief faces of the type characters as T embossed on a printing plate as P extend well above the plane in which the exposed face of a panel as 29 is disposed. Hence if the rails f4 on one printing device were promiscuously slid over the face of another printing device, this might result in damage to the relief faces of the type characters. Usually the printing devices `are so related one to the other that the intertting of the rails as f4 and grooves as G may be readily effected, the uppermost printing device shown in Fig. 21 being shown in the position in which printing devices are customarily related one to the other prior to the time the rails ffl pass into grooves as G.

Another important aspect of the present invention is illustrated in Figs, 23 to 26, inclusive, and it is to be understood that the arrangement therein disclosed, which will be described presently, may be embodied in the printing device illustrated in Fig. lor in related views or in any other printing device of the character to which this invention pertains and which embodies spacing fianges in the nature of spacing flanges SF. There are instances where the inner edge of a spacing flange on one printing device will catch along a marginal edge, such as that afforded by the rounded edge l), on another printing device, and ofttimes when this occurs considerable manipulation is required in order to effect separation of the printing devices. It has been observed that this primarily arises by reason of the fact that the angular inclination of the inwardly disposed faces of spacing flanges as SF is usually insufficient to facilitate separation of printing devices when the spacing flange on one printing device catches on the edge of another in the manner just described.

In order that the foregoing condition may be obviated ,and separationof printing devices may be expeditiously effected in the event two printing devices assume a relationship such as that shown in Fig. 26, I have provided the arrangement illustrated in Figs.v 23 to 26, inclusive. With respect to the 'disclosure in these views, those elements there illustrated which correspond to those described hereinabove are indicated by a, similar reference character but a prime exponent ,is 'applied thereto. Further in this respect the printing device illustrated in Figs. 23 to 26 is desirably fabricated in a manner described hereinabove, and it is to be expressly understood that the aspect of the invention illustrated in Figs. 23 to 26 may be embodied in any printing device carrier or frame that has spacing flanges provided along the edges thereof.

Thus, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 23 to 26, guides 41 in the form of inclined embossures are provided on the inwardly disposed face as I5' of a spacing ange as SF. Desirably these guides 41 are afforded by Ipressing the material of the-face or inclined part as l5 of the spacing flange as SF inwardly of the frame in .such manner that the lower ends of the guides 41 merge into the lower edges of the rails as I4 of the spacing anges as SF' while the upper ends of such guides 4'! merge into the free edges of fianges as I6. In any event, however, it is desired that a plurality of such guides or embossures 41 be provided along the inwardly disposed face of a spacing flange and that the angular inclination of such guides or embossures, in so far as the inwardly disposed faces thereof are concerned, be such that in theevent two printing devices assume interrelated positions, such as are shovvl in Fig. 26, the angular inclination of the guides .or embossures as 4'! will be such as to facilitate Separation of the printing devices, which is to say, the inclination will be such that the spacing flange on the superimposed carrier may be readily moved into aligned relation with the part of the face of the underlying printing device carrier that is arranged in alignment with the spacing ange provided thereon.

-The provision Vof guides or embossures as lil on a printing device is particularly `advantageous in a frame embodying the present invention. This is particularly true Where related panels as and 29 are afforded on the printing devices for, as explained hereinabove, this enables the rail of a spacing ange on one device to freely slide over the face of an underlying printing device. In such circumstances, even when printing devices are related one to the Yother in the manner, for example, illustrated in Fig. 26, printing devices embodying the above described arrangements may quickly be brought into the desired arrangement thereof illustrated by the lowermost two printing devices shown in Eig. 21. When a plurality of printing devices are arranged in this manner the resulting stack thereof may be handled without likelihood of lateral separation among the various printing devices in the stack.

Inasrnuch as it is ofttimes desirable to accurately locate the impressions that may be made from the relief facesV of the type characters T on the sheetsor the like adapted to receive such impressions, a notch as N is desirably formed in one of the marginal edges of the printing device carrier, such -a notch N in the present instance being formed in the rounded edge l0 along the righthand side of the Vprinting device carrier as the same is viewed, for example, in Fig. 1. This notch N is accurately related with respect to the' retaining means for the printing plate as Pand thus by embossing the type characters T at a determined position on the plate as Pand thereafter disposing such plate in the retaining means therefor on the frame an accurate interrelation is established between the type characters T. and the notches N.

Reference is made hereinabove tothe provision of a rib as R as a separating means between pockets as Pl and P2, Among the advantages of such a rib are that it may be located in avarietyggf positions with respect to the beads as UB and LB provided on a frame as F- and that by so doing index cards and printing plates of varied Widths may be accommodated on carriers of the character to which this invention pertains. As examples of such varied location of the 'rib as R reference may be made to printing devices illustrated in Figs. 1, 27, 28 and 29 and in so far as the printing devices illustrated inFigs'. 27 and 28 are "concerned, these are identical with the printing device illustrated in Fig. 1 except in so far as the location of the rib as R thereon, and the. respective widths of the plates and cards retained thereon, are concerned.

In this respect the printing device illustrated in Fig. 1 is Qf the character adapted to accommodate a plate of the character that is commorily referred to in the art as a four-line plate. If, however, itis desired also to print a salutation such as, for example, Dear Sir, type characters by which this could be effected would be provided in the place Where the fourth line of type characters, may be accommodated on a printing plate as P. However, it has been found in the use Ofprintng devices of the character 20. to which this invention pertains ,that it is oft: times advantageous and necessary to aiQrd ac.- commodation for more than four lines .of type characters on a particular printing plate.

Thus, for example. t0. refer .to the printing plate. shown in Fig. 2,9, this is of a character that iS Commonly used by insurance 4companies who, in addition to printing the name of a policy holder, his address and the like, as may be effected by the utilization of the printing device shown in Figs. 1 and 22, also often print other data such as the policy number, the date or dates on which premiums are due, the name of the agency through Which the policy is handled and the like. By comparing the printing devices disclosed in Figs. 1 and 29 it will be seen that the printing device shown in Fig. 29 has a printing plate Pc mounted thereon that is of such a nature that a relatively large number of rows of type characters may be embossed thereon as compared, for example, with the number of rows of type characters that may be embossed on the plate P shown in Fig. l. Likewise, the printing plates Pa and Pb, respectively, shown in Figs. 27 and 28, afford accommodation for a greater number of rows of type characters than can be accommodated on the plate P shown in Fig. l, but such printing devices do not enable as many rows of typecharacters to be embossed thereon as can be embossed, for example, on the printing plate Pc, shown in Fig. 29. A

Furthermore, with respect to printing devices of the character to which this invention pertains, it is advantageous to form such printing devices of a standard size for so to do not only facilitates fabrication of the printing devices but this also enables standardization of the machines in which the printing devices are adapted to be used particularly. in so far as the means afforded in such machines for advancing the printing de- Vices therethrough may be concerned. Thus in so far as the printing devices shown in Figs. l, 27, 28 and 29 are concerned, the frames thereof are desirably. of a standard size andthe difference therebetween, as stated hereinabove, is the size of the printing plate that may be accommodated thereon. However, since the index cards and printing plates are mounted on the frames or carriers of the printing devices in side by side relation, it is manifest that since the size of the printing. device carrier remains constant and the size, and particularly the width of the printing plate, increases it is necessary to decrease the width of the index card that may be accommodated thereon.

lhile an index card as C on a printing device as F, which is of a width substantially equal to the' width of the plate as P, lis of sufficient size toV enable an impression to be made thereon from all of the type characters embossed on the plate as P, those index cards provided on the printing devices illustrated in, V for example, Figs; 27, 28 and 29, are of less width than the' printing devices respectively provided on the frames of these devices and in such circumstancesk an impression is made on the index card from but selected of the type characters embossed on the plate or plates of the printing device on which the index card is to be used.

As has been stated heretofore, the printing devices illustrated in Figs. 2,7, 28 and 29 correspond to the printing device illustrated in Fig. 1, except in sov far as the location of the rib as R thereon with respect'to the beads as UB and LB is concerned, and moreover since it is the rib'as R that separates the card and plate receiving pockets as PI and P2 provided on a frame as F one from the other, it is manifest that the index card and printing plate pockets afforded on the frames illustrated in Figs. 27, 28 and 29 are of varied size with respect to each other asY these are formed on the respective frames and also with respect to those included in the printingdevice illustrated in Fig. 1.

However, it is manifest that when a frame or carrier as Fa, Fig. 27, is to be produced, such frame or carrier may be produced by the same tools that are utilized in the protection of the frame Fig. 1. Since the plate Pa that is to be accommodated on the frame Fa is of greater width than .the plate P to be accommodated on the frame F and since the card Ca, Fig. 27, is correspondingly narrower than the card C, Fig. 1, the tools which are utilized to produce the rib R are disposed in one particular position when the frame F is to be produced and in another position when the frame Fa is to be produced. Thus since the plate Pa. is wider than the plate P, the tools which are eiective to produce the rib R, and therefore the rib Ra on the frame Fa are, when the frame Fa is to be produced, located closer to the tools eiective to produce the bead as UBa than are these tools when they are to be effective to produce the rib R. This, however, is the only change that need be made when the tools which are eifective to produce the frame F are to be utilized to produce the frame Fa, and thus it is only the location of the tools effective to produce the rib as Ra that need be Varied when the tools that are utilized to produce the frame F are to be utilized to produce the frame Fa. Moreover, since the various elements of the printing device illustrated in Fig. 27 fully correspond to the various elements included in the frame F, Fig. l, the su'iX a is added to the reference characters when they appear in Fig. 27 and Where such reference characters are applied in Fig. 27 to designate an element corresponding to one shown in Fig- 1 and related views.

Furthermore, in so far as Fig. 28 is concerned, the suiiix b is applied in the foregoing manner Where the reference characters appear in Fig. 28 and likewise in Fig. 29 the sux c is added to the reference characters. In this respect, in so far as the frame Fb illustrated in Fig. 28 is concerned, this differs from the frames F and Fa only in the location of the rib Rb is located rnuch closer to the upper bead UBb than is the rib Ra with respect to thebead UBa in Fig. 27 or the rib R with respect to the bead U'B in Fig. 1. Hence the frame illustrated in Fig.

v28 may be produced by the same tools or the like utilized in the production of the frames F and Fa' and the only change that is required to enable the production of the frame Fb is a change in location of the tools that are effective to produce the ribs R, Ra and Rb.

The plates P, Pa and Pb respectively adapted to be retained on the frames F, 'Fa and Fb are so related in width that the spring tongues as ST, SIa and STb respectively provided on the frames F, Fa and Fb are eiiective to properly retain each of these plates on its particular frame. However, it is preferable that the spring tongues as ST cooperate with the adjacent edge of a printing plate as P substantially medially in the extent of such an edge and, as can be ascertained by comparing Figs. 1, 27 and 29, there is not a suiiicient departure from this desideraturn, in so far as the frames illustrated in Figs. 27 and 28 22 are concerned, to warrant changing the location of the spring tongues as ST from the location that is resorted to in the frame F. However, the plate Pc, adapted to be retained on the frame Fc shown in Fig. 29, is so much wider than the plates P, Pa and Pb that a change in the location of the spring tongues from the position thereof shown in Fig. 1 is desirable when the frame Fc is to be produced and the change that is thus made is such that the spring tongues STO will be located on the frame Fc in such position as to cooperate substantially with the medial part of the adjacent edge of a plate as Pc when it is mounted on a frame as Fc.

Hence when a frame as Fc is to be produced, this may :be eiected by utilizing the same tools as those which are employed to produce the frames F, Fa and Fb but in this instance, in addition to changing the location of the tools effective to produce the ribs as R, Ra, Rb and Rc, the tools which are effective to produce the spring tongues as STC are also varied from the location in which such tools are disposed when frames as 'F, Fa or Fb are to be produced. Other than this change, however, the same tools may be utilized in the production of the frame Fc as are used in the production of the frame F.

Reference has also been made hereinabove to the fact that it is often desirable to enable a plurality of printing plates to be arranged on a single carrier. Resort is had to such an arrangement of printing plates on carriers of the nature to which this invention pertains in those in-v stances Where a portion of the subject matter that may be printed from type characters embossed on the plate may vary from time to time while other portions of the subject matter will remain relatively constant, Thus, for example, `in the case of an address. the name will usually remain constant but the street and number may change from time to time and also the city and state may change from time to time. Furthermore, in other instances and particularly where numerical data may be printed from selected of the embossed type characters, such data may change from time to time Without there being a change in the other data. In circumstances such as the foregoing, and in other kindred instances, if but a single printing plate is provided on the frame, it might be necessary to change an entire plate in an instance where there was a small change in but a part of the subject matter. However, where a plurality of plates may be accommodated on a single carrier, it is customary to emboss the type' characters from which the unchanging portion of the subject matter may be printed on one of the plates while the type characters from which that part of the subject matter that is likely to change are embossed on another of the plates. In such circumstances, When a change occurs, only a relatively small printing plate need be discarded or changed and furthermore but relatively fevv type characters need be embossed in order that the change may be effected. ,Y

It is for reasons such as the foregoing that resort is had to a carrier of such nature that a plurality of printing plates may be accommodated thereon. Heretofore, however, it has been customary to provide a particular carrier for each diiferent plate arangement and also it has been necessay to provide a relatively large number of plate arrangements for a .plate which may be accommodated on one particular carrier is usual.

23 ly not suitable for accommodation on another carrier.

However, as has been stated, among the objects of the p resent invention are to enable a number of different plate arrangements to. be incorpo.- rated on a carrier arranged in one particular way and also to enable a particular plate arrangement to be utilized in a number of different carriers. Examples of arrangements of this character are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Figs. 30 to 41, inclusive. The frames or carriers illustrated in these views, as in the case of the carriers illustrated in Figs. 27, 28 and 29, desirably embody the hereinabove novel features incorporated in the printing device shown in Fig. 1 and related views. IThus each of the carriers illustrated in Figs. 27. to 41, inclusive, embody spacing iianges as SF that are desirably equipped with rails as lliI and these printing devices are also desirably provided with grooves as G in which such rails on the spacing flanges may be fitted. Moreover, as has .been explained with reference to Figs. 2'7, 28 and 29, each of the carriers illustrated in Figs. 30 to 41, inclusive, also embody a rib as R and depressible portions such as the spring tongues ST, the frame shown in Fig. 41, for example, embodying two sets of such spring tongues for a purpose explained more fully hereinafter. Moreover, each of the various frames illustrated in the accompanying drawings include rounded edges as l0, 22 and 3l, panels as 29, combined stop and retaining means as SR, retentions as 34, and beads as UB and LB and guides or embossures as 41 may be incorporated in the spacing flanges of these carriers in the manner described hereinabove.

However, since. the printing device carriers. il.- lustrated, for example, in Figs. 30, 36, 40 and 41 are to accommodate a plurality of printing plates, it is necessary to provide additional retaining means thereon, since these frames are adapted to receive a plurality of printing plates and such plates cannot be effectively retained only by beads as LB and ribs as R as may be the plates P, Pa, Pb and Pc. Furthermore, it is the disposition of such additional retaining means as well as the disposition of ribs in the nature of the rib R, Fig. 11, and in many instances the location of the lspring tongues as ST that enables a variety of plate arrangements to be particular frame or carrier, more fully presently.

Moreover, since it is desirable to avoid making impressions from whatever retainingy means are provided on a carrier when impressions are made 'from the relief faces of type characters embossed on the plates retained on the carrier, those carriers embodying the present invention desirably have the retaining means, adapted for cooperation with the plates to be retained thereon, so constituted and arranged as to be adapted for coperation with portions of reduced thickness, along the marginal edges of the plate as, for example, flanges in the nature of the flanges 35 and 3G provided on the plate P, Figs. 14 and 15,

this being described and in accordance with the present inventionthecarriers are desirably arranged to include retain- 'ing means that are adapted for cooperation with printing plates of the character to which the co.- pending application filed by myself and William J. Hampton, Serial No. 450,318, filed July 9, 19.42, pertains. Moreover, and a yet further object and :advantage of the present invention, particularly in those instances where a plurality of plates are 'to be retained on a single carrier, is to enable accommodated on a 24 utilization of printing plates embodying marginal edges which lie in straight linesV and which are free of projecting elements.

As an illustration of the manner in which a number of different plate arrangements, may be incorporated on a single carrier, attention is rst directed to Figs. 30 to 34', inclusive. The frame Fd there illustrated includes a rib Rd which is desirably located with reference to the bead UBd in the manner shown in Fig. 30 so as to thereby afford a card receiving pocket. Pld between this rib and bead in which a card as C'd may be accommodated. Furthermore, the rib as Rd is located with respect to the bead LBd as to afford a plate receiving pocket, indicated by P2d, which includes a bottom wall 40d, Fig. 35. Furthermore, since a plurality of plates are to be accommodated in the plate receiving pocket that is thus aforded, in addition to. thel retaining means as LZd aiorded on the rib Rd and the bead LBd, additional plate retaining means as 48, 49, 50 and 5l are struck up from the bottom 40d of the pocket as P2d as, for example, in the manner illus.- trated in Fig. 35. Each such additional retaining means embodies a part that is so related to the adjacent face of the bottom 40d of the pocket P2d as to enable accommodation therebelow of a iiange as 35d or 36d in, for example, the manner illustrated in Fig. 35.

The frame Fd, in addition to being shown in Fig. 30, is also fragmentally illustrated in Figs. 31 to 34, inclusive, the portion of the frame that is adapted to accommodate the card as Cd having been eliminated from these views inasmuch as this arrangement of the frame Fd corresponds to that illustrated in Fig. 30. However, by comparing Figs. 30 to 34, it will be seen that a wide variety of plate arrangements may be accommodated on the frame Fd, and this may be realized by reason of the relation that is established among the retaining devices as L2d and LBd and the additional retaining devices 48, 49, 50 and 5l.

Thus, the retaining devices 48 and 49 are located on the bottom wall 40d of the pocket P2 of the frame Fd in side by side but spaced apart relation and, as best shown in Fig. 35, the free edges of these retaining devices are directed toward the retaining devices L2dA so that a channel is afforded therebetween into which a plate as Pd, Fig. 30, or plates as Pg, and Ph, Fig. 31, or a plate as Pi, Fig. 32, or a plate as Pi., Figs. 33 and 34, may be accommodated therein. Likewise, the free edges of the retaining devices 50 and 5l are directed toward the retaining device LBd to thereby afford a channel in which a printing plate as Pe, Fig. 30., Pi, Figs. 31 and 32, or Pi, Figs. 33 and 3.4, may be accommodated therein.

Furthermore, each of the retaining devices 48 and 49 are so located with respect to the side edges of the pocket P2d and the retaining devices Lid afforded on the rib Rd that a plate as Pi, Fig. 32, of a width corresponding to that of the pocket P2d may be accommodated therein or, for example,V so that tWO. plates, as. Py and Ph of a combined length equal to the length of the plate Pz' may be` accommodated therein. Furthermore, the location of the retainingA devicesV 48 and 4 9 is also such that plates as Pd or Pi which are of a length lessV than the width of the pocket P2d may be accommodated therein. However, when such a relatively short plate as Pa or Pi is. to be accommodated on the carrier, resort. is also had to a plate as Pf or Pk which is of such a Width as to 

